Ratt - Round and Round

The 80s was a take-your-pick era for glam metal, for better or worse. The sheer volume of bands vying for the same space was ridiculous, each offering up their take on big riffage, having bouffant hair and wearing trousers that might disappear in a strong wind. While Ratt might not make the lips of everyone who recites their top 5 glam metal bands like some weirdly specific game of Family Fortunes, they were certainly the undisputed kings of the scene. 

It took a little while to get rolling (if they’d have known glam metal wouldn’t be popular until the mid-eighties, they might have waited ten years), but the band from Hollywood, California exploded in popularity as the genre took off, releasing hit album after hit album and giving everyone erotic dreams no matter what gender you thought the members were. They blended blues and hard rock elements into their playing, giving them a vital edge in the war for spandex supremacy that allowed them to rise above many of their contemporaries.

So, stick the drama of the day-to-day in the bin, everyone, because this one is a pure nostalgia hit. Strap in and let your ears be blessed by the time capsule dress code and frankly ridiculously good riffs of Round and Round as your Rock Song of the Week pick. And yes, the video follows the exact plot of basically every single glam metal video ever – rich, white family are disturbed by glam metal nonsense upstairs/next door, daughter/son are corrupted in one way or another. But in this era of highly produced short films as music videos, it’s nice to see guitarist Warren DeMartini jump down through a ceiling, then try desperately not to slip and fall off a table while he lays down the main solo. It’s the personal touches that matter the most.